NL West

San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth hit for the third cycle in franchise history on Friday evening against the Washington Nationals, and he accomplished the feat before the sixth inning was over.

A two-RBI double in the second inning, an RBI triple in the third, a fifth-inning solo home run and a sixth-inning single got the job done.

Per ESPN Stats & Info, Matt Kemp (2015) and Wil Myers (2017) had the other two Padres cycles. Myers, who is still on the Padres, hit two home runs on Friday.

Cronenworth also joined some Hall of Fame company, per the Elias Sports Bureau:

By the time the top half of the sixth inning was over, the Padres led 19-4, and Cronenworth had gone 4-for-5 with four RBI.

The 27-year-old Cronenworth entered Friday hitting .276 with 12 home runs and 34 RBI. The second-year MLB player made his first All-Star Game this season after finishing as the runner-up in the National League Rookie of the Year race the year before.

San Francisco Giants prospect Drew Robinson is retiring from professional baseball and will join the franchise's front office to continue his work as a mental health advocate, the 29-year-old announced Friday. 

Robinson, who's attempted suicide in April 2020 and return to baseball the following year was chronicled by ESPN's Jeff Passan, spent the start of the 2021 season with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. In 35 games following the loss of his right eye, Robinson slashed .128/.240/.267 with three doubles, eight RBI and 12 walks on 53 strikeouts. 

He will play his final games this weekend.

"I couldn't be more excited to remain in the game that saved my life," Robinson wrote. "I remember the day after my suicide attempt, the first thought I had toward choosing to live came from thinking about playing baseball again. I did that, with one eye, and I'm grateful for my time with the River Cats and the 11 incredible years I spent with the [Texas] Rangers and [St. Louis] Cardinals."

Per Passan:

Robinson, 29, has spent the past 2½ months with the Giants' Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento, returning to the game against long odds. In April 2020, Robinson shot himself in the head and survived 20 hours before calling 911. The idea of playing baseball again prompted Robinson to place the call, and while damage from the gunshot forced doctors to remove his right eye, he attempted a comeback nevertheless.

After getting an opportunity with the Giants and signing a minor league deal at the start of the season, ESPN reported Robinson began discussing a job with San Francisco's front office as he continued to struggle on the field with Sacramento.

Now, he'll get the chance to remain in baseball and focus on improving the mental health of players.

Robinson wrote that in his new role with the Giants he'll be able to help players address their emotional well-being and called the last 15 months indescribable. The Nevada native thanked his fans, coaches, trainers and teammates for treating him like family and noted the inspiration he received along the way helped him on his journey. 

Robinson finishes his career with 100 MLB games between the Rangers and Cardinals. He holds a career .202/.296/.359 slash line with nine home runs, 22 RBI and 30 walks on 102 strikeouts. 

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer won't be back with the team for some time amid the ongoing investigation into sexual assault allegations against him.

Major League Baseball and its players' association announced that Bauer's administrative leave has been extended through July 27.

Bauer has been out since July 2 when MLB placed him on seven-day administrative leave. The Commissioner's Office also has the ability to ask the MLB Players Association to extend his leave in seven-day increments as it deems necessary.

MLB announced July 8, one day before Bauer's initial seven-day leave was set to end, that the reigning National League Cy Young winner's paid leave had been extended an additional seven days.

The Pasadena Police Department announced last month it opened an investigation against Bauer after he was accused of assaulting a woman. MLB is also investigating the allegations.

Per Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic, a domestic violence restraining order was executed against Bauer on June 28.

In the 67-page ex parte document filed in court by the woman, Bauer was accused of assaulting her on two different occasions.

According to Ghiroli and Strang, the alleged assaults described by the woman began when she started a consensual sexual relationship with Bauer.

"According to the woman's declaration attached to the request and obtained by The Athletic, she suffered injuries as a result of the second encounter, including two black eyes, a bloodied swollen lip, significant bruising and scratching to one side of her face," Ghiroli and Strang wrote.

Jon Fetterolf, an agent and lawyer for Bauer, denied the allegations on behalf of his client in a statement to TMZ Sports:

"Following each of her only two meetings with Mr. Bauer, [the accuser] spent the night and left without incident, continuing to message Mr. Bauer with friendly and flirtatious banter. In the days following their second and final encounter, [the accuser] shared photos of herself and indicated that she had sought medical care for a concussion. Mr. Bauer responded with concern and confusion, and [the accuser] was neither angry nor accusatory."

Amid the ongoing legal investigation, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts initially told reporters July 1 that Bauer was still set to make his next scheduled start July 4 against the Washington Nationals.

A hearing is scheduled for July 23 to determine if the woman's temporary restraining order will remain in effect. Bauer's representatives told MLB.com's Juan Toribio they plan to "refute and defend him against the allegations at the hearing."

Bauer is in his first season with the Dodgers. He signed a three-year deal as a free agent during the offseason, with the final two seasons being player options.

Texas high school shortstop Jordan Lawlar is going to be the crown jewel of the Arizona Diamondbacks' farm system after he was selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. 

An 18-year-old standout at Jesuit College Prep School in Dallas, he has been regarded as one of the top talents in the 2021 class since he was a sophomore. 

At the Perfect Game National Showcase in June 2020, Lawlar ran 60 feet in 6.45 seconds and showed elite-level arm strength at shortstop: 

"Has very easy and smooth actions in the middle infield, hands are very quick and clean at the ball, rounds the ball with maturity and has a quick exchange and release, plays defense in an easy comfort zone with an advanced inner clock. Right-handed hitter, hits from a slightly open stance with a short and quick inside swing, ball comes off the barrel hard, high contact middle of the field approach that can grow as he gets stronger, projects well offensively."

Lawlar went on to win the Jackie Robinson Perfect Game Player of the Year as a junior. Jeff Dahn of Perfect Game noted the blue-chip shortstop hit .485/.561/.848 in an abbreviated 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

MLB.com ranked him as the third-best player in the draft, behind California high school shortstop Marcelo Mayer and Vanderbilt ace Jack Leiter, and compared him to Bobby Witt when he was the No. 2 pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2019.

If Lawlar's development goes as expected, he will be a key contributor in Arizona in the near future after some time in the minor leagues.

Considering the Diamondbacks haven't made the playoffs since the 2017 campaign and they sit in last place in the National League West at 26-65 this season, they could use the reinforcements down the line.

The San Diego Padres announced they placed pitcher Yu Darvish on the 10-day injured list because of left hip inflammation.

The move is retroactive to Friday.

Darvish's injuries have been an issue in the past. He started just eight games in 2018 before being mostly healthy the last two seasons. 

Darvish is 7-3 with a 3.09 ERA and 1.00 WHIP this season, his first with the Padres after finishing as the 2020 National League Cy Young runner-up as a member of the Chicago Cubs.

The Padres are on the hook for two more years of Darvish and will have to hope his latest ailment is only a short-term issue.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado was added to the National League's All-Star squad.

Machado will replace Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., who suffered a season-ending torn ACL. This will be his fifth All-Star selection and his first since signing with San Diego in 2019.

The announcement came midway through San Diego's Saturday night game against the Colorado Rockies:

The 29-year-old originally missed out after Nolan Arenado won the fan vote to be the starting third baseman for the NL. Kris Bryant and Eduardo Escobar were also named reserves, with the latter getting the nod as the Arizona Diamondbacks' lone delegate.

Regardless of whether he's going in as an injury replacement, Machado unquestionably has an All-Star-caliber resume. He ranks sixth among NL position players in WAR (3.1) on FanGraphs, and he owns a .275/.362/.492 slash line to go along with 15 home runs and an NL-best 60 RBI.

The Padres will be well represented at Coors Field in Denver on July 13. Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth, Yu Darvish and Mark Melancon are All-Stars as well. Minor back and hip injuries have ruled Darvish out of competing, though.

If history is any indicator, then the Padres' five All-Stars bode well for the franchise. They last hit that number in 1998, which was the same year they went on to win the pennant.

Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Justin Turner and Walker Buehler were named replacements for the National League All-Star Team on Saturday.

According to Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times, Turner will replace Dodgers teammate Mookie Betts, who cited an injury as his reason for not participating.

Per Kyle Glaser of Baseball America, 10 All-Star replacements were named in all Saturday with six of them coming on the NL side. Of the six NL replacements, four of them are starting pitchers, including Buehler.

The Dodgers have had a total of five players named to the National League All-Star team in Betts, Turner, Buehler, first baseman Max Muncy and outfielder Chris Taylor.

Turner, 36, will be making his second career All-Star appearance after previously getting chosen for the game in 2017.

In 82 games this season, Turner is hitting .302 with 14 home runs, 45 RBI and 49 runs scored, putting him on pace for the best season of his 13-year MLB career.

Turner, who was the 2017 National League Championship Series MVP and helped the Dodgers win the World Series last season, is outperforming his strong career batting average of .293.

The 26-year-old Buehler is also now a two-time All-Star after making it for the first time in 2019.

Buehler has been the ace of the L.A. pitching staff this season, going 8-1 with a 2.49 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 108.1 innings over 17 starts.

The veteran righty has built upon his outstanding playoff performance last season when he went 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five starts for the eventual World Series champion Dodgers.

While Betts won't play in the All-Star Game, he will get credit for his fifth career All-Star nod and his first as a member of the Dodgers.

In 77 games this season, Betts is slashing .245/.352/.446 with 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 51 runs scored and seven stolen bases.

Betts finished second in the NL MVP voting last season, but there was no All-Star Game since the season was shortened to 60 games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to that, Betts was named an All-Star in four straight seasons with the Boston Red Sox.

At 54-35, the Dodgers have the second-best record in the NL this season, and they trail the San Francisco Giants by two games for the NL West lead.

Turner, Buehler, Muncy and Taylor will look to make an impact for the NL All-Star team when they clash with the AL in the 2021 MLB All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver on Tuesday night.

The San Francisco Giants announced Friday that catcher Buster Posey has been placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Tuesday with a left thumb contusion.

Right-handed pitcher Logan Webb has been reinstated from the injured list in a corresponding move. 

Posey, 34, will enter the All-Star break with a .328/.421/.547 slash line with 12 home runs and 28 RBI. 

Curt Casali should receive the lion's share of the playing time behind the plate for the Giants during the three-time World Series champion's absence. Chadwick Tromp moves into the backup role.

Posey is such a crucial cog in the middle of the San Francisco offense that any type of extended stint on the injured list would limit the club's offensive upside during the 2021 season. His impact handling the pitching staff behind the plate would also be missed.

With the Los Angeles Dodgers wrapping up an eight-game road trip, Drake apparently made good use of Dodger Stadium on Thursday night.

Chris Cristi of ABC7 Eyewitness News spotted the rapper enjoying a date night outside of the third-base dugout:

According to TMZ Sports, Drake was with Johanna Leia, the mother of 5-star combo guard Amari Bailey. Bailey is the No. 3 player in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2022. The 6'5" scorer is also a star at Sierra Canyon, playing alongside Bronny James.

Drake has attended Sierra Canyon games in the past.

If you're considering having your next date in Chavez Ravine, AM 570 LA Sports' David Vassegh reported Drake provided a "sizable donation" to the Dodgers Foundation to reserve the services of the stadium.